Darkened Dreams
by Mika Casey
Summary: SkyClan  future generation of the SkyClan from Firestar's quest , TwilightClan, and MistClan.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Warriors cats (c) Erin Hunter.

**Author's Note**: More cats, more drama. (:

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><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

Rosepath felt brambles tug at her underbelly as she scrambled to get away from the howling tomcat that was chasing her. He reeked of carrion and old twolegplace, common for a TwilightClan cat.

Diving into a berry bush, Rosepath allowed herself to turn and look at the cat who was pursuing her. He was largely built, with ragged gray fur that was missing in certain patches, and he had fury-filled amber eyes. He howled when he realized that she was in the bush, a place that she was small enough to get into and he could not chase her.

Rosepath closed her eyes and listened to her surroundings. She could hear her clanmates howling in pain around her, and the yowls of the TwilightClan cats they were fighting with. TwilightClan's leader had sent his deputy, Blossomflower, to battle for the small patch of forest near Skyrock. SkyClan cats were defending the unclaimed sacred land that wasn't their territory so all three clans could access it in times of peace for gatherings. During the battle, Rosepath had been chased by a TwilightClan warrior further away from the main battle. No cat could help her fight him off.

The TwilightClan cat snarled. "Come out and face me, SkyClan filth!" He spit. "Your clan is filled with nothing but cowards!"

Taking a deep breath, Rosepath watched the TwilightClan cat peer into the bush. When they locked eyes, she charged forward and swatted her outstretched claws at his muzzle. She caught his nose, and blood sprayed her tortoiseshell pelt and his own eyes as she scratched him.

The gray tomcat yowled, lunging blindly at her. He was much larger than her, and he managed to pin her with her belly to the ground. "You should be taught a lesson about obedience!" He hissed in her ear before sinking his teeth into the scruff of her neck.

Fear filled Rosepath's heart. She tried to call out for help, but her chest was being crushed by the weight of the TwilightClan tom.

Unable to even move herself slightly, Rosepath let her body go limp. She shut her eyes in defeat.

She could feel a sickening purr come from the tomcat. He removed his jaws from her neck and hissed in her ear.

"Get off of her!" Rosepath heard an enraged yowl from somewhere behind her. She felt the tomcat's weight suddenly taken off of her, and she was able to roll back to the base of the berry bush. Unable to stand properly, she crouched just under the leaves and looked out at the newcomer.

The cat now engaged in a staring and pacing match with the TwilightClan cat was a SkyClan apprentice named Jackalpaw. He was two moons younger than Rosepath and would soon earn his warrior name, but he was the size of a full-fledged warrior. His tan and black fur was standing on end, and his hazel-green eyes glittered with rage. Jackalpaw was Rosepath's best friend, and a very kind tomcat that she would follow to the ends of the earth.

Jackalpaw spoke again. "Leave or I will rip you apart." This threat was not empty. Rosepath and the TwilightClan tom could clearly see the ripple of muscle under the apprentices pelt.

The TwilightClan tom bared his teeth in frustration. "SkyClan filth!" He backed away, and after a few paces he turned tail and ran back in the direction of the abandoned Twolegplace.

When the tom was out of sight, Jackalpaw approached Rosepath and crouched by her side. "Did he hurt you?"

Rosepath attempted to appear calm. "He just knocked the wind out of me." She looked at the ground, remembering what he had hissed in her ear.

Jackalpaw began to wash Rosepath's muzzle with his tongue. "Rosepath, I've been wanting to talk to you about something for a while."

Looking up into the tomcats handsome eyes, Rosepath quivered.

"I want you to be safe. I want to keep you safe." He twined his tail in hers. "I love you, Rosepath, and I want you to be my mate."

Rosepath had been waiting for him to ask her this for moons, so she was not surprised. Her pain was momentarily forgotten as she was overwhelmed by her love for the young tomcat, as well as the sensation she felt as he was washing her pelt.

"Of course, Jackalpaw." She purred, pressing her nose into his muzzle. "I love you too, and I will gladly be your mate."


	2. Chapter 1: Birth

**Chapter 1: Birth**

"Just breathe, Mustardtail." Rosepath purred reassuringly to the golden-brown she-cat that was sprawled on the mossy floor of the nursery. "Owlkit went to fetch Cloverfang and Waveheart."

Four of Rosepath's five kits were huddled across the nursery in Rosepath's nest. All four sets of eyes were glittering with concern and focused the golden-brown queen who was writing in pain. A tiny tortoiseshell tom whimpered.

Trying to reassure her kits with a flick of her tail, Rosepath mewed curtly. "Hush, Wildkit. Mustardtail's kits are coming, she will be fine." Rosepath proceeded to wash Mustardtail's ears.

Rosepath's fifth kit, a mottled brown tomcat named Owlkit, came bursting through the entrance to the nursery. "They're right behind me!" He gasped before scurrying into Rosepath's nest and joining his littermates.

Waveheart entered the nursery first. She was SkyClan's medicine cat, trained to care for her sick or wounded clanmates. She had a beautiful snowy white pelt and eye as blue as the midday sky. She took a seat next to Mustardtail's flank and began mewing instructions to the queen. "Mustardtail, I need you to breathe deeply..."

As Waveheart began to speak, Mustardtail's mate Cloverfang entered the nursery. "I'm here, Mustardtail, I'm here! You're doing great!" Rosepath moved to sit next to Waveheart, and Cloverfang began to wash Mustardtail's muzzle and ears.

Mustardtail stopped mewling in pain. She seemed to focus, and was a little more relaxed with the presence of Cloverfang.

Waveheart mewed excitedly. "I believe there are two kits coming, Mustardtail. The first is coming now. Concentrate."

A whimper was emitted from Mustardtail as she took a final deep breath, then exhaled. The first kit came out, and Waveheart immediately started to lick its fur to dry off the kit.

The second came moments after the first, and Rosepath was there to gather it in her paws and begin to bathe it.

Waveheart sat up from the kit she was washing on with sorrow in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mustardtail. The first kit was a stillbirth."

As Rosepath washed Mustardtail's second kit, she heard the queen wail in agony. Rosepath's felt her heart slow as she licked the kit's chest. When she felt a steady beat under her tongue, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Rosepath mewed happily. "A she-cat, alive and well." She reported, grabbing the kit by the scruff and carrying it over to place it next to Mustardtail's belly. The kit squirmed as it smelled the milky scent of her mother, and then the kit began to suckle.

Waveheart quietly carried the stillbirth kit out of the nursery, and Rosepath knew that the kit would be buried on the outskirts of the SkyClan camp. Rosepath watched as Mustardtail's eyes, filled with both grief for her dead kit and love for the kit that was still with her, were trained on her daughter.

"What do you want to name her?" Cloverfang asked quietly. Mustardtail ran the tip of her tail over the kit's golden-brown fur, which looked exactly her own.

Mustardtail looked up at Cloverfang. "Fernkit." Rosepath knew that the name was after Cloverfang's sister, Fernpaw, who now walked with StarClan.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful kit." Cloverfang agreed, pressing his nose happily against his mate's muzzle.

Rosepath purred, and she heard her kits mewing with approval. Wildkit sqealed. "Welcome, Fernkit!"

Walking toward her nest, Rosepath flicked Wildkit's nose with her tail. "She can't hear you yet, Wildkit. She's too young."

"Oh." Wildkit's head drooped.

Rosepath purred. "Don't worry, Wildkit. She'll be old enough to play with you before you know it."


End file.
